Begin Again
by Janeway1390
Summary: Chuck and Sarah celebrate Hanukkah together. Written for GoldenGirl for the Holiday Fic Exchange Challenge.


**A/N:** Written for **GoldenGirl** for the **Holiday Fic Exchange Challenge. **She wanted a broken clavicle, fake mustaches (that's plural!), and an unexpected Sarah talent. The prompt was: Chuck and Sarah celebrate Hanukka together (Hanukka?? yes, Hanukka!), but not without some *zany* bumps along the way. Enjoy!

"I just got off work and need to shower and pack. Half hour tops."

"Great. I just need to make as few stops and I'll be there by 4:30."

Chuck grabbed his duffel bag from the closet and set it on the bed. Sarah had been cryptic about where they were going, but she said it would be cold. He threw a few pairs of jeans, some long sleeved t-shirts, and a couple sweaters into the bag and zipped it up. He had no idea what to expect, but he was excited. Since the upload of the new Intersect, he hadn't had much time to be alone with Sarah. At first she had been distant towards him, but she was starting to come around and he could feel the ice begin to thaw.

"Going somewhere?" Ellie asked leaning on the doorframe.

"Yeah, I'm spending Hanukkah with Sarah. She won't tell me where we're going though."

"Sarah's Jewish?"

"Apparently," he laughed. "I just found out."

"I'm glad you two are spending some quality time together. You need it."

* * *

"When do I find out where we're going?"

"That's top secret. You'll find out when we get there."

"Is this a mission? I thought we were spending Hanukkah together."

"It was a cover," Sarah said glancing at him from behind the wheel. "You know I'm not Jewish."

Chuck sighed and crossed his arms. He knew this was too good to be true. "What's the mission?"

"Casey will brief you once we reach the location. There's a box under your seat that will help with your cover."

He reached under the seat and opened the box. "Fake mustaches? Are you serious?"

She just shrugged. "Try this one on first," she said reaching in and handing him one.

Chuck did as he was told, flipping open the visor mirror. "I look like an idiot."

"Try another one then."

He picked another one and turned to her. "Too porn star?"

"Definitely," she chuckled.

"How about this one?"

She started laughing. "Now you just look like Tom Selleck."

"You know if you told me who I'm supposed to be it might make this easier," he said taking off the mustache and placing it back in the box.

"There's no mission, Chuck. I just wanted to see you try on the mustaches."

"You played me!"

Sarah smiled. This was what she wanted to get back to. The playfulness and easy banter they once had.

"Since you were such a good sport, I'll tell you that I rented us a cabin in the snow, but we're going ice skating first."

* * *

Nine hours and a hospital visit later, they finally made it to the cabin. Sarah guided Chuck to the couch, turned the heater up, and went back outside the get their things.

"The hospital gave you enough medication for the weekend and I'll run to the pharmacy first thing Monday morning," she said handing him a glass of water and the pills he needed to take.

"Who knew ice skating could be so dangerous?" Chuck smiled despite the pain from his newly broken clavicle.

"I thought the Intersect would have kicked in when it sensed danger," Sarah chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?"

"The image of you falling face first into the ice keeps replaying in my mind. You almost flattened the poor little boy in front of you."

"You're responsible for this you know," he said smiling. Her laughter was contagious and he couldn't help himself from joining in. "I told you Bartowski's weren't built for the ice. I think you need to make it up to me."

"I guess that's fair. What do you have in mind?" He quirked an eyebrow and smirked, but she shook her head. "Don't even think about it."

"How about a massage?"

"That I can do. Consider it your first Hanukkah gift."

She rubbed his neck and uninjured shoulder while they talked about their plans for the rest of their trip. Skiing was out of the question, but relaxing all day in the cabin did not sound bad at all to Sarah.

Chuck sighed and closed his eyes. "You're amazing at this you know. Is there anything you can't do?"

"Sing," she said flatly. "You do not want to hear me sing."

"So Hanukkah carols are out of the question?"

"Not a chance. That's one torture you're going to have to endure."

* * *

Chuck slept in the next morning and wasn't surprised to find that Sarah was already awake and cooking breakfast.

"French toast. My favorite!"

"Those pain meds really knocked you out didn't they?"

"Well after the concert you put on last night I was definitely in need of some sleep aids."

She punched him playfully in his good shoulder and served him a plate of French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon.

"So what's in store for today?"

"I was thinking of taking a walk, if you're up to it. About a mile up the road there's a beautiful view of the mountains covered in snow. We can take some pictures for Ellie."

"Sounds awesome."

"Then I need to run to the market so I can make you a traditional Jewish dinner."

"You should have told me you were Jewish. Ellie would have loved to have another holiday to celebrate."

"I'm not religious," she said taking a bite of her eggs. "But from what my father says, my mom was. I guess I just celebrate Hanukkah once in awhile for her."

Chuck nodded taking her words in. It wasn't often Sarah Walker told him something real about herself and he took it as a good sign.

"It means a lot that you invited me up here to celebrate with you. I know things have been . . . weird with us since I uploaded the new Intersect."

Sarah locked eyes with him. "I'm sorry I've been distant," she said quietly. "But it's more important than ever for me to protect you and I'm having trouble reconciling that with the feelings I have for you."

He smiled and nodded, understanding perfectly what she was saying. "It's hard for me too."

"The Holidays are about spending time with loved ones. You're the only person I wanted to share this with."

She smiled at him softly and took her plate to the sink. "I'm going to get dressed and ready for the walk."

Sarah placed a light kiss on his cheek before retreating upstairs. He had a feeling Hanukkah was going to become his new favorite holiday.


End file.
